On Thursday, June 12, the Clarke County Board of Education (BOE) approved their balanced budget of $254,945,221 for the 2026 fiscal year.
Along with approving the budget, the BOE voted to maintain their current millage rate of 18.8 mills for the fourth year in a row.
The budget is about a $13.2 million increase from 2025. Over $8.5 million of the increase will go towards employee state health insurance and teacher retirement system benefits covered by the district.
The budget will also allocate $1.1 million for 17 additional school resource officer positions. 3 of the 17 new positions will be armed officers, with the remainder being unarmed and placed at each of the district’s elementary schools.
In the event of an emergency, the district has set aside about $55 million to ensure a well-ordered school year.
There will also be an expected increase of 6.46% for property taxes, raising the amount of tax collections by 1.141 mills. Based on property assessed value compared from 2024 to 2025, some property owners will receive increases, while others will not.
This article comes to Now Habersham in partnership with WUGA News
FILE - President Donald Trump walks across the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, March 25, 2018. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)
ATLANTA (AP) — A federal judge on Friday blocked President Donald Trump’s attempt to overhaul elections in the U.S., siding with a group of Democratic state attorneys general who challenged the effort as unconstitutional.
The Republican president’s March 25 executive order sought to compel officials to require documentary proof of citizenship for everyone registering to vote for federal elections, accept only mailed ballots received by Election Day and condition federal election grant funding on states adhering to the new ballot deadline.
The attorneys general had argued the directive “usurps the States’ constitutional power and seeks to amend election law by fiat.” The White House had defended the order as “standing up for free, fair and honest elections” and called proof of citizenship a “commonsense” requirement.
Judge Denise J. Casper of the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts said in Friday’s order that the states had a likelihood of success as to their legal challenges.
“The Constitution does not grant the President any specific powers over elections,” Casper wrote.
Casper also noted that, when it comes to citizenship, “there is no dispute (nor could there be) that U.S. citizenship is required to vote in federal elections and the federal voter registration forms require attestation of citizenship.”
Casper also cited arguments made by the states that the requirements would “burden the States with significant efforts and substantial costs” to update procedures.
Messages seeking a response from the White House and the Department of Justice were not immediately returned. The attorneys general for California and New York praised the ruling in statements to The Associated Press, calling Trump’s order unconstitutional.
“Free and fair elections are the foundation of this nation, and no president has the power to steal that right from the American people,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said.
The ruling is the second legal setback for Trump’s election order. A federal judge in Washington, D.C., previously blocked parts of the directive, including the proof-of-citizenship requirement for the federal voter registration form.
The order is the culmination of Trump’s longstanding complaints about elections. After his first win in 2016, Trump falsely claimed his popular vote total would have been much higher if not for “millions of people who voted illegally.” Since 2020, Trump has made false claims of widespread voter fraud and manipulation of voting machines to explain his loss to Democrat Joe Biden.
He has said his executive order secures elections against illegal voting by noncitizens, though multiple studies and investigations in the states have shown that it’s rare and typically a mistake. Casting a ballot as a noncitizen is already against the law and can result in fines and deportation if convicted.
Also blocked in Friday’s ruling was part of the order that sought to require states to exclude any mail-in or absentee ballots received after Election Day. Currently, 18 states and Puerto Rico accept mailed ballots received after Election Day as long they are postmarked on or before that date, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Oregon and Washington, which conduct their elections almost entirely by mail, filed a separate lawsuit over the ballot deadline, saying the executive order could disenfranchise voters in their states. When the lawsuit was filed, Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs noted that more than 300,000 ballots in the state arrived after Election Day in 2024.
Trump’s order has received praise from the top election officials in some Republican states who say it could inhibit instances of voter fraud and will give them access to federal data to better maintain their voter rolls. But many legal experts say the order exceeds Trump’s power because the Constitution gives states the authority to set the “times, places and manner” of elections, with Congress allowed to set rules for elections to federal office. As Friday’s ruling states, the Constitution makes no provision for presidents to set the rules for elections.
During a hearing earlier this month on the states’ request for a preliminary injunction, lawyers for the states and lawyers for the administration argued over the implications of Trump’s order, whether the changes could be made in time for next year’s midterm elections and how much it would cost the states.
Justice Department lawyer Bridget O’Hickey said during the hearing that the order seeks to provide a single set of rules for certain aspects of election operations rather than having a patchwork of state laws and that any harm to the states is speculation.
O’Hickey also claimed that mailed ballots received after Election Day might somehow be manipulated, suggesting people could retrieve their ballots and alter their votes based on what they see in early results. But all ballots received after Election Day require a postmark showing they were sent on or before that date, and that any ballot with a postmark after Election Day would not count.
The Washington, D.C. Evening Star for March 13, 1932, featured Friday the 13th as one of their favorite superstitions.
Source: Library of Congress
Friday the 13th has long been considered an unlucky day by the superstitious. On par with walking under ladders, breaking mirrors and seeing a black cat, this superstition is widely known. It was made even more culturally widespread in 1980 when the classic horror film of the same name was released. But why, exactly, do we care?
Beginnings of a Superstition
This odd belief has it’s equally odd roots most likely in 19th century France. According to the Library of Congress, the first recorded writing of the phrase is found in an 1834 edition of the magazine Revue de Paris by author Marquis de Salvo. He refers to a Sicilian count who killed his daughter on Friday the 13th, and states “It is always Fridays and the number 13 that bring bad luck!”.
That same year, in a French play an actor states “I was born on Friday, December 13th, 1813, and from there comes all my misfortunes.”
By the mid-1800s, this belief was widespread in all of France and was beginning to travel around the world. One of the more fascinating things to come of this belief is the “Thirteen Club of New York”. This “club” first met on January 13, 1892 and was headed by Captain William Fowler. Captain Fowler had the number 13 show up many times in his life, from where he went to school at Public School No. 13, to fighting in 13 battles in the Civil War. at 8:13PM on that day in 1892, the club met in room #13 of Fowler’s cottage, with 13 men present. Upon entry, they passed under a ladder with a sign that read “Those of us who are about to die salute you!”. They lit 13 candles, had 13 courses of dinner, and had a grand old time. A year later at a meeting, they noted none of the members had died, nor even had serious illness. Former presidents Chester A. Arthur, Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison, and Theodore Roosevelt were all members of the club at some point.
Address of Chief Ruler Daniel Wolff, Delivered at the First Annual and 13th Regular Meeting of the Thirteen Club, 1883 Source: Library of Congress
Of course, it is highly likely that this superstition may have existed before the 1800s, both the number 13 and Friday are considered individually unlucky in many cultures around the world.
Unlucky Fridays and 13s
Friday being an “unlucky” day likely has its roots in Christianity. Jesus’ crucifixion occurred on a Friday, and for many Christian based religions fasting on Fridays is not uncommon. This idea is backed up by the fact Friday is not considered unlucky in countries around the world where Christianity is not the primary religion. In fact, in most Hispanic culture Tuesday the 13th is unlucky, and in Italy Friday the 17th is actually the unlucky day.
Why 13 is the unlucky number is a bit more of a mystery. You may have heard of the Norse story of Loki crashing a meeting of 12 Gods, making him the 13th guest, and killing Baldr, but according to the Library of Congress no such story actually exists. Once again, this could have its roots in Christianity. At the Last Supper, there were 13 guests and despite the Bible not actually stating arrival order, Judas is believed to have been the 13th to arrive.
If you have seen the film or read the book The Davinci Code you may be familiar with a story that dates all the way back to 1307. The Knight’s Templar was a Catholic military order charged with protecting pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem. On Friday, October 13th, 1307 the order to arrest all those in the Knight’s Templar came from King Phillip IV, and the Templar was ended. This could have led to the number 13 being considered unlucky, if not a combination of the two. Of course, this would have also come later once the date of the decree was much more widespread since in Medieval times the news wouldn’t have traveled very far.
Battle flag of the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, commonly known as the Knight’s Templar
Whatever the reason, Friday the 13th is one of many superstitions still observed around the world today. It has lost some steam culturally in the past decade or so, but you will no doubt still see many social media posts about it.
It might pay to carry a little extra salt to toss over your shoulder today.
Donna Bunn James, director, founder, and pianist for The Mountain Voices Community Choir. (Nora Almazan/Now Habersham)
On Friday, June 27, Mountain Voices Community Chorus will present its summer concert, “A Little Night Jazz.” The concert will be held at 7:00 PM in the sanctuary of Cornelia First Presbyterian Church.
This concert includes many standards from the jazz style from the 1920s to the 1990s, including “As Time Goes By,” “Moon River,” “Dream,” and “And So It Goes.” The choir will be dressed in jazz costumes, further enhancing the program.
“This concert features adults from Habersham and Stephens counties. Each season has slightly different performers, depending on who is available to sing for that particular concert,” explains Mountain Voices founder and director, Donna James.
Hundreds of singers have been part of the Mountain Voices concerts since its founding in 2007. James says the current group of adult singers ranges from 17 and up.
“There are new faces in the choir as well as those who have been singing with Mountain Voices for many seasons,” she says.
This rehearsal season began in April. Taylor Sexton is the primary conductor.
New voices welcome!
Mountain Voices welcomes new members each season. The next session will begin on September 2nd at First Presbyterian Church. The rehearsals are each Tuesday evening until the week of the concert, November 14.
Beginning again this fall, Foothills Community Children’s Chorus will also rehearse on Tuesday nights from 6:15 – 7:00. This choir is open to kids ages 7 – 12. They will join with Mountain Voices for the fall concert.
Law enforcement personnel gather immediately after the arrest of Jonathan William Harris, 34, of Sautee Thursday night off Toccoa Highway. (Rob Moore/Habersham County Sheriff’s Office)
A tip from a local business led to the arrest of a man wanted in connection with an officer-involved shooting early Wednesday in Habersham County.
34-year-old Jonathan William Harris of Sautee was arrested around 9 p.m. on June 12 at a home on Rosewood Drive, just off Toccoa Highway near Clarkesville. He was wanted in connection with an officer-involved incident that occurred early Wednesday morning in the Chopped Oak community.
Witnesses reported seeing multiple sheriff’s patrol vehicles outside the Dollar General Store on Highway 17 around 8:40 p.m. Thursday, June 12.
Employee called 911
According to the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office, the arrest came after a store employee recognized Harris when he walked in wearing a yellow traffic vest, helmet, gloves, and a mask. When he briefly pulled the mask down, the employee realized who he was and immediately called 9-1-1.
Authorities searched for Jonathan Harris for two days before capturing him late Thursday night, June 12, 2025, hiding in a camper outside a home near Clarkesville. (Credit: Habersham County Sheriff’s Office)
Patrol units responded quickly.
“Upon reviewing video footage at the business, deputies confirmed it was Harris and other units responded to the area to establish a perimeter,” said Habersham County Sheriff’s Public Information Officer Rob Moore.
The individual left the store in a Kubota side-by-side with pine straw in the bed. Deputies located the vehicle a short distance away on Rosewood Drive just off GA 15/US 441.
Tracked to a camper
K-9 teams from Habersham and Banks counties picked up the trail and tracked Harris to a camper in the yard of a home on Rosewood Drive. They noticed a window had been forced open. After failed attempts to communicate with Harris and observing movement inside the camper, deputies obtained a key from the owner, who confirmed that the camper was supposed to be unoccupied.
Deputies entered the camper and found Harris hiding under the bed. He reportedly refused to follow commands and was taken into custody with the help of a K-9 unit.
“Harris had in his immediate possession two handguns and also two other firearms located in a bag belonging to him,” said Moore.
Habersham County Emergency Services evaluated Harris at the scene, then transported him to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Demorest for treatment and medical clearance from the K-9 apprehension, according to Moore.
Law enforcement units are shown near the Kubota side-by-side Jonathan William Harris was seen driving Thursday night, June 12, 2025, prior to his arrest. (Rob Moore/Habersham County Sheriff’s Office)
Officer-involved shooting
Harris was wanted in connection with an early morning incident Wednesday off Talmadge Drive in northern Habersham County.
According to the GBI’s preliminary investigation, at about 3:30 a.m. on June 11, a Habersham County deputy conducted a traffic stop on a truck pulling a trailer with two flat tires. The truck came to a stop at the end of Juniper Trail. As the deputy stepped out of his patrol car, the truck driver, later identified as Harris, “rammed into the patrol car, causing it to hit the deputy and knock him to the ground,” the GBI said. “Harris got out of the truck. The deputy fired his gun, and Harris ran from the scene.”
The truck and trailer had been reported stolen out of Hall County before the incident. Harris also had outstanding warrants for his arrest from an unrelated incident, the GBI said.
Authorities arrested a passenger in the truck. They charged 44-year-old Antone Cortez Hall of Gainesville with theft by receiving stolen property, obstruction of an officer, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. As of early Friday morning, June 13, Hall remained in jail without bond.
Habersham County EMTs assessed the deputy for minor injuries after the incident occurred on June 11, 2025. (Daniel Purcell/NowHabersham.com)
Habersham County EMTs evaluated the deputy on the scene and treated him for minor injuries. The GBI is conducting an independent investigation into his use of force in the incident. Sheriff Robin Krockum has not publicly commented on the case.
More charges expected
Before his arrest, authorities charged Harris with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, obstruction, fleeing and eluding police, possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of a crime, and theft by receiving stolen property. He also had outstanding warrants from an unrelated case. He will be booked into the Habersham County Detention Center and is expected to face additional charges.
“Anyone who believes they are a victim of theft or burglary since early Wednesday, June 11, should contact the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office,” said Moore.
Sheriff Krockum expressed his gratitude to the many agencies involved in the search and arrest, including the Georgia State Patrol, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Department of Natural Resources, Banks County Sheriff’s Office, and the police departments in Baldwin, Clarkesville, Cornelia, and Helen.
Signs held during the TMU protest on June 6, 2025, denouncing the college's use of non-disclosure agreements. Students and alumni claim NDAs contributed to a culture of silence on the small Christian college campus in Cleveland, Georgia.(Daniel Purcell/NowHabersham.com)
In the wake of a burgeoning sex scandal at Truett McConnell University in Cleveland, some former students and staff have stepped forward to defend TMU personnel and practices against what they perceive to be unfair media coverage.
Now Habersham and other news outlets published detailed reports about a former student, soccer player, and staff member, Hayle Swinson, who alleges she was groomed and raped by TMU’s former Vice President, Bradley Reynolds. Another former soccer player, Caylin Carter, validated and expanded upon Swinson’s claims. Carter added that other authority figures at TMU knew or should have known that Reynolds’ relationship with Swinson was inappropriate.
Status of the inquiry
The Enotha Judicial Circuit District Attorney, Jeff Langley, is currently investigating Swinson’s allegations, and said last week he would determine whether it was still possible to prosecute Reynolds for the alleged abuse.
In other developments, the outside investigator hired by the TMU Trustees, Richard Hyde of Phoenix Research, LLC in Atlanta, told Now Habersham he was just beginning his investigative work this last Monday, June 9, and was “just learning the players” at the University as he set about asking questions of the involved parties.
Also this week, the women’s soccer coach, David McDowell, emailed that he would decline comment while the investigation is underway.
Former player strikes at ‘misleading’ coverage
TMU alum Caylin Carter protests on campus on June 6, 2025, in the wake of allegations that the school covered up reports of sexual abuse against a former student. Now Habersham interviewed Carter at the protest and published her account of how she claimed she was treated while a student and member of TMU’s soccer team. (Daniel Purcell/NowHabersham.com)
During a protest at the small Christian college campus in Cleveland on June 6, Caylin Carter shared her personal experiences at the school with Now Habersham. While she never alleged any sexual abuse, she did claim that student complaints were ignored and punished.
Meagan Kough, a former TMU soccer player and coach, was one of several who wrote in to take issue with Now Habersham’s coverage, saying the article conveying Carter’s views, was “full of misleading statements and misinformation, especially pertaining to Coach McDowell.”
Now Habersham reached out to Kough and the others and asked for interviews so they could share their personal experiences. They declined. However, through email, Kough said she played for McDowell on the TMU team from 2011-2016 and coached alongside him from 2015-2020.
Kough dismissed Carter’s implication in the article that McDowell was to some extent complicit in abuse allegedly committed by Reynolds.
In the lengthy email, Kough gave a completely contradictory account.
She wrote, “I believe Coach Mac to be one of the godliest men I know, and there is no other coach I know that desires more to honor Christ.”
Coach’s ‘no-carbs’ rule
Kough continued: “In my time working with Coach Mac he made some mistakes and implemented some strange rules (the questionable diet plan, for example), but if something wasn’t working to make the team better he had a willingness to adapt. I didn’t agree with every single decision he made, but I never experienced or witnessed anything in our professional relationship that led me to question his morality or motives. The way player meetings, workouts, and away trips were conducted were, in my opinion, always above board.”
Kough’s reference to the diet plan refers to Carter’s claim that McDowell insisted on a “no-carbohydrate” diet for the players, causing several to lose weight at an alarming rate. Carter told a reporter that McDowell was so strict about diet that he urged other students to report to him any instance of players eating any source of carbohydrates.
Former player: Coach ‘among those fooled’
Carter’s account described McDowell pressuring players into counseling sessions and social time with Reynolds.
Bradley Reynolds served as Truett McConnell’s vice president of academic services from 2009 to 2024. He left the university after Swinson reported the allegations against him to local law enforcement. (TMU/Facebook)
“We all now know Dr. Reynolds to have been an expert at deceiving and manipulating, but at the time he had so many of us on campus fooled into believing him to be a kind, wise, safe, and Godly man,” Kough wrote. “Coach McDowell was among those fooled, and he was convinced this was true about Dr. Reynolds whenever he would encourage us as players (not order us) to seek counsel from him.”
Responding to another of Carter’s complaints, about swimming parties at Reynolds’ home, Kough wrote: “There was a pool in the Reynolds’ backyard, so the family would usually offer for the team to go swimming before dinner if they wanted to. While it was mandatory for the players to be at the dinner as a team function, there was nothing mandatory about going swimming.”
Reynolds only culprit
Reynolds’ alleged abuse of Swinson occurred in the Reynolds’ basement, off-campus, during private religious counseling sessions, according to Swinson’s interview on a Christian podcast. Swinson also sometimes slept over in the Reynolds’ basement, behind what she believed to be a locked door, she said. It was on those occasions when the worst abuse occurred, she said in an incident report filed with the White County Sheriff’s Office last year.
Swinson has declined to speak to the media, apart from the Christian podcast where she first shared her story.
Kough also took issue with Carter’s claim that Coach McDowell demanded to meet her boyfriend when she was on the team to see if he met with the coach’s approval.
(Daniel Purcell/NowHabersham.com)
“Coach Mac has always had a care and concern for his players that went outside of just the soccer field. He wants to help them grow in their faith and prepare them life outside of soccer when they graduate. Because of this, conversations about players’ romantic relationships would come up in player meetings, and Coach Mac would offer counsel if he felt it would be welcomed…. I personally thought he should have stayed away from topics about the players’ romantic lives, but nonetheless I believe his motives in bringing it up was always for the good of the player,” wrote Kough.
Assistant coach defends head coach, soccer program
Jonathan Britt, head assistant soccer coach, assailed Now Habersham in an email he wrote after the website published its coverage of the TMU situation.
“It is clear you are looking for clicks and write only what you feel would make a good story,” Britt wrote. “It is lazy journalism and you should be ashamed to call yourself a journalist….”
Britt challenged the time frame relayed in the story, particularly concerning a conflict between facts as stated by Carter and Swinson’s tenure at TMU and on the team.
“Caylin Carter was never a teammate of Hayle,” Britt wrote. “Hayle was no longer eligible to play after 2010. So how was Caylin, who was a Freshman in 2014, a teammate? With respect, that is very poor research.”
‘Countless people’ to vouch for coach’s character
Caylin Carter interviews with a reporter during the TMU protest on June 6, 2025. (Daniel Purcell/NowHabersham.com)
Christina Jones, another former player, also wrote in disagreement with the article.
“Caylin was clearly hurt by her time at TMU and is apparently still experiencing much of that hurt over 10 years later. I’m not downplaying that, just calling to attention how quickly you decided to write up a story without doing an ounce of research to support it. Had you done so, you would’ve heard from perspectives like mine and so many others who have played for Coach McDowell, coached on his staff, coached various sports at TMU alongside him, or taken one of his theology classes on campus (because yes, he taught one of those.)”
Jones also supplied a lengthy list of factual and contextual differences with the account of life on the soccer team and at TMU provided by Carter. She wrote: “There are countless people willing to vouch for the character and high professional practices of David McDowell, but you chose to only ‘read one bad article’ instead.”
Coach McDowell response
Now Habersham made several attempts to reach Coach McDowell to verify dates and other facts, but did not hear back until he wrote several days after Carter’s story was published. He said he is out of the country and has not had regular access to email.
(Daniel Purcell/NowHabersham.com)
“I will not be doing any interviews while the school is being investigated,” McDowell wrote.
Hyde, the outside investigator, has not yet indicated how long he expects his investigation to take.
In a phone interview, Hyde said, “There’s very little I can tell you right now…As far as timeline goes, I’m going to work the case with all deliberate speed, but I’m not going to rush and be sloppy either.”
Asked about non-disclosure agreements allegedly signed by departing faculty and staff, Hyde said, “I don’t know anything about anything right now.” He did not want to comment further about the investigation.
As reported previously, Bradley Reynolds hung up when Now Habersham contacted him by telephone at the Texas sandwich shop where he now reportedly works.
Firefighters and people clean up the scene of an explosion at a residence compound after Israeli attacks in Tehran, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel launched a major attack on Iran Friday, drawing their long-running shadow war into the open conflict in a way that could spiral into a wider, more dangerous regional war.
The strikes set off explosions in the capital of Tehran as Israel said it was targeting Iranian nuclear and military facilities. Iranian state media reported that the leader of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, the head of its missile program, and two top nuclear scientists had been killed. Israel said it killed additional Revolutionary Guard members.
Israel said Iran retaliated by sending over 100 drones toward Israel, most of which were intercepted. As of Friday afternoon, the military said strikes in Iran were ongoing.
The Trump administration revived efforts to negotiate limits on Iran’s uranium enrichment in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. But the indirect talks between American and Iranian diplomats have hit a stalemate.
The attack pushed the region into a new and uncertain phase. Here’s what to know about the strikes:
Israel hit nuclear sites, killed Revolutionary Guard chief
Israeli leaders said the attack was aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear bomb as the country enriches uranium a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels. Iran long has said its program is peaceful and U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed Iran was not actively building a weapon.
In a video announcing the military operation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strikes hit Iran’s main enrichment site, the Natanz atomic facility, and targeted Iran’s leading nuclear scientists. He said that Israel had also targeted Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal.
Iranian state TV reported that the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and one of Iran’s most important commanders, Gen. Hossein Salami and Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of Revolutionary Guard missile program, had been killed. Israel said it killed two other senior officials as they huddled in an underground bunker.
An Israeli military official, who was speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said that Israel was continuing to strike Iran but declined to say in which locations.
Iranian state television and the semi-official Fars news agency both carried news of Israel striking Iran’s nuclear enrichment site in Natanz. State TV also reported attacks in Shiraz and Tabriz.
Iran retaliates with drones, but Israel says it deflected threat
In retaliation, Iran launched over 100 drones toward Israel.
Israel’s military said its air defenses had shot down most of the drones and told civilians they could leave shelters for the time being. But the military said the threat was not yet over and urged caution. It closed Israeli airspace and said it was calling up tens of thousands of soldiers to protect the country’s borders.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian says his nation would “strongly take action” against Israel after its attacks on the country.
From Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump urged Iran to reach a deal with the U.S. on its nuclear program, warning that Israel’s attacks “will only get worse.” He previously said that the U.S. had not been involved in the attack.
Israel’s air force and spy agency carried out the operation
An Israeli military official said around 200 aircraft took off at the same time to conduct operations over 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) away in Iran, targeting air defense systems, ballistic missile manufacturing sites and missiles ready to be launched toward Israel. The official said dozens of radar installations and surface-to-air missiles were destroyed.
Also involved in the operation was Israel’s spy agency, the Mossad. Israeli security officials said the Mossad smuggled weapons into Iran ahead of Friday’s strikes that were used to target its defenses from within.
Two security officials spoke on condition of anonymity on Friday to discuss the highly secretive missions. It was not possible to independently confirm their claims.
The officials said a base for launching explosive drones was established inside Iran and that the drones were activated during Friday’s attack to target missile launchers at an Iranian base near Tehran.
They said Israel had also smuggled precision weapons into central Iran and positioned them near surface-to-air missile systems. They said it also deployed strike systems on vehicles. Both were activated as the attacks began in order to target Iran’s defenses, the officials said. There was no official comment.
Unclear how close Iran is to building a bomb
Netanyahu claimed Friday that if Iran wasn’t stopped, “it could produce a nuclear weapon within a very short time.” But it likely would take Iran months to build a weapon, should it choose to do so. It also hasn’t proved its ability to miniaturize a bomb to be placed atop missiles.
Iranian officials have openly threatened to pursue the bomb. Tensions over Iran’s rapid nuclear advances and growing reserves of highly enriched uranium are surging seven years after President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
For the first time in two decades, the atomic watchdog agency on Thursday censured Iran for failing to comply with nuclear nonproliferation obligations meant to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon.
In response, Iran said that it would open a previously undisclosed enrichment site and accelerate production of 60% highly enriched uranium, which could be easily processed to the 90% level used in nuclear weapons.
Iran’s nuclear sites have long been a flash point
Iran has two main enrichment sites, Natanz, in central Isfahan province, and Fordo, near the Shiite holy city of Qom, some 90 kilometers (55 miles) southwest of Tehran.
Both are designed to protect from potential airstrikes. Natanz is built underground on Iran’s Central Plateau, and has been targeted several times in suspected Israeli sabotage attacks, as well as by the Stuxnet virus, believed to be an Israeli and American creation, which destroyed Iranian centrifuges.
Fordo is buried deep inside mountain and protected by anti-aircraft batteries. It also hosts centrifuge cascades, but isn’t as big a facility as Natanz.
Both sites have been the focus of the Trump administration’s recent push to negotiate a new nuclear deal with Tehran. Trump said that he warned Netanyahu against launching an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities while diplomatic efforts were underway.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff was expected to meet his Iranian counterparts in Oman for a sixth round of negotiations to start Sunday. It wasn’t clear if those talks would take place, or if the negotiations would ever resume following the strikes.
By Isabel Debre and Julia Frankel Associated Press
ELBERTON, Ga. — A 24-year-old Elberton man is facing felony charges in connection with a break-in at the Elberton Memorial Hospital pharmacy.
At the request of the Elberton Police Department, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrested Garrett Anderson on Monday, June 9. He is charged with felony burglary and felony criminal trespass for allegedly breaking into the hospital pharmacy on April 27, 2025.
Anderson was booked into the Elbert County Jail following his arrest.
The case remains under active investigation.
Authorities urge anyone with information to contact the GBI’s Athens regional office at 706-552-2309. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or through the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
Once the investigation is complete, the GBI will turn over its findings to the Northern Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
Smoke rises up after an explosion in Tehran, Iran, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel attacked Iran’s capital early Friday, with explosions booming across Tehran as Israel said it targeted nuclear and military sites.
The attack comes as tensions have reached new heights over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program. The Board of Governors at the International Atomic Energy Agency for the first time in 20 years on Thursday censured Iran over it not working with its inspectors. Iran immediately announced it would establish a third enrichment site in the country and swap out some centrifuges for more-advanced ones.
Israel for years has warned it will not allow Iran to build a nuclear weapon, something Tehran insists it doesn’t want — though official there have repeatedly warned it could build them. The U.S. has been preparing for something to happen, already pulling some diplomats from Iraq’s capital and offering voluntary evacuations for the families of U.S. troops in the wider Middle East.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an address on YouTube that the attacks will continue “for as many days at it takes to remove this threat.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Israel took “unilateral action against Iran” and that Israel advised the U.S. that it believed the strikes were necessary for its self-defense.
“We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region,” Rubio said in a statement released by the White House.
Rubio also issued a warning to Iran that it should not target U.S. interests or personnel.
People in Tehran awoke to the sound of the blast. State television acknowledged the blast.
It wasn’t immediately clear what had been hit, though smoke could be rising from Chitgar, a neighborhood in western Tehran. There are no known nuclear sites in that area — but it wasn’t immediately clear if anything was happening in the rest of the country.
An Israeli military official says that his country targeted Iranian nuclear sites, without identifying them.
The official spoke to journalists on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing operation, which is also targeting military sites.
Benchmark Brent crude spiked on the attack, rising nearly 5% on the news.
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said that his country carried out the attack, without saying what it targeted.
“In the wake of the state of Israel’s preventive attack against Iran, missile and drone attacks against Israel and its civilian population are expected immediately,” he said in a statement.
The statement added that Katz “signed a special order declaring an emergency situation in the home front.”
“It is essential to listen to instructions from the home front command and authorities to stay in protected areas,” it said
Both Iran and Israel closed their airspace.
As the explosions in Tehran started, President Donald Trump was on the lawn of the White House mingling with members of Congress. It was unclear if he had been informed but the president continued shaking hands and posing for pictures for several minutes.
Trump earlier said he was urging Netanyahu to hold off from taking action for the time being while the administration negotiated with Iran.
“As long as I think there is a (chance for an) agreement, I don’t want them going in because I think it would blow it,” Trump told reporters.
A rendering of the proposed skybridge between the Georgia Capitol and the planned office building. (Courtesy of Georgia Building Authority)
(Georgia Recorder) — The state government and Atlanta City Council are at odds over a proposed skybridge connecting the state Capitol with a new legislative office building currently under construction across the street.
The Georgia General Assembly last year approved spending $392 million on the new office building to house government offices and committee hearings and for other refurbishments to the Capitol campus.
But the state needs authorization from Atlanta to build the skybridge, which would extend over Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, because part of its footing takes up some of the city’s right of way, and they also need air rights. Members of the city’s transportation committee voted 5-0 to table the project Wednesday.
David Mitchell, executive director of the Atlanta Preservation Center, said the Capitol is one of Atlanta’s most iconic buildings and the state hasn’t done enough to work with the city.
“To do this, to allow them to have this in perpetuity basically diminishes Atlanta’s autonomy, diminishes what Atlanta stands for and it allows the state to come in and basically say they can do whatever they want,” he told committee members. “It is offensive.”
Council members expressed concerns that the skybridge would interfere with efforts to revitalize downtown Atlanta.
“I’m a big believer that these sorts of pedestrian bridges – or as like to call them, hamster tubes – don’t do much or do anything to get people on the street and patronizing businesses because they’re able to go from building to building without really interacting with the street in a way that breaks the vibrancy that we’re looking for,” said Councilman Jason Dozier, whose district includes the Capitol.
Councilman Amir Farokhi agreed.
“Our friends from Dalton and Thomasville and Macon and Swainsboro, et cetera, we welcome them on our streets, and as you spend time during the legislative session at the Capitol and the state buildings complex, downtown Atlanta and the area around the state Capitol will be made better by folks walking around the footprint,” he said.
But Gerald Pilgrim, chief of staff at the Georgia Building Authority, said lawmakers, lobbyists and members of the public attending legislative hearings won’t pass any small businesses between the Capitol and the new legislative building whether they cross Martin Luther King Jr. Drive at the crosswalk or high above traffic.
“The state of Georgia, we own the blocks around this area,” he said. “There are no private businesses within multiple blocks of this location. The closest restaurants to the area are both owned by the Georgia Building Authority, so we really weren’t sure, we didn’t understand those (comments).”
“It’s just to connect the Capitol and the legislative office building,” he added. “You would still have to walk to get to the Capitol from a parking lot or parking deck or MARTA. You would have to walk to get to the legislative office buildings from those things. So it’s still the same.”
Pilgrim said the skybridge will improve accessibility to the Capitol and to committee hearings for young people, seniors and people in wheelchairs. He said his agency is ready to answer any questions the council has and hopes they can come to an agreement.
“Ultimately, the new legislative office is being built. It will be open October 31st, 2026, and hopefully we’ll have a bridge. If not, that’ll be something that somebody can add at a future time,” he said.
Former U.S. Rep. Billy Long testifies before the Senate Finance Committee at his confirmation hearing as IRS commissioner on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (Screenshot from committee webcast)
WASHINGTON (States Newsroom) — Former Missouri U.S. Rep. Billy Long is now the head of the Internal Revenue Service, after the U.S. Senate approved his nomination Thursday.
Senators split along party lines, 53-44, to confirm the Republican, who served in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2023, and previously spent multiple years as a talk radio host.
Long heads to the IRS after the agency has lost more than 11,000 employees, or 11% of its workforce, either through deferred resignations or mass firing of probationary workers since President Donald Trump began his second term, according to a May 2 report from the agency’s inspector general.
In a social media post after Long’s confirmation, Republican Sen. Mike Crapo, chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, congratulated the new IRS commissioner.
“I look forward to partnering with him in his efforts to modernize the IRS and improve customer service for taxpayers,” wrote Crapo, of Idaho.
Long’s nomination process was overshadowed by a Democrat-led investigation into the former lawmaker’s involvement in a fake tribal tax credit scheme.
Long denied any wrongdoing during his May 20 confirmation hearing.
Sen. Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the Finance Committee, said on the floor ahead of Thursday’s vote that a decision on Long “ought to be an easy no.”
“It’s one corruption bombshell after another with former Congressman Billy Long. Fake tax credits. Scam tax advice. Shadowy political donations that went straight in his pocket. Promises of personal favors. No-show jobs with high-paying federal salaries. That’s quite a rap-sheet,” said Wyden, of Oregon.
The IRS is tasked with collecting tax revenue and enforcing the tax code.
Ellen Neece, second from left, is honored for her double title as Hall County Schools Nurse of the Year and Georgia School Nurse of the Year. Pictured, from left to right, are her son, Wyatt Neece; Chicopee Woods Elementary School Principal Rebecca Fisher; Chicopee Woods teacher Karen Craft; Co-lead ESOL teacher Allyson George; and husband Philip Neece. (Hall County Schools)
The Hall County School District is shining a spotlight on two of its own after receiving statewide recognition for excellence in school health.
Ellen Neece, school nurse at Chicopee Woods Elementary, has been named both the Hall County Schools Nurse of the Year and the Georgia School Nurse of the Year in the LPN category. Known for her steady presence and deep care for students, Neece plays a vital role in the Chicopee Woods community. Her commitment goes far beyond Band-Aids and checkups—she supports the emotional and physical well-being of every child who walks through her clinic doors.
Andrea Williamson-English, Health Services Coordinator for the Hall County School District, is President-Elect of the Georgia Association of School Nurses (GASN). (photo submitted)
The district is also celebrating Andrea Williamson-English, Hall County’s Health Services Coordinator, who has been elected President-Elect of the Georgia Association of School Nurses (GASN). A longtime advocate for student wellness and school nurse support, Williamson-English now steps into a leadership role that reflects her dedication and forward-thinking approach to school health.
“Andrea’s leadership is transforming our district’s health services,” said Joey Millwood, Director of Student Services. “She works every day to ensure that every student has access to the care they need and that every nurse in our district has the tools and support to succeed.”
Millwood says these recognitions are more than just titles—they’re a testament to the heart, hard work, and high standards that drive Hall County’s school health team.
